As far as Shireen can remember, this is her first visit to King's Landing.
In truth, she had been here before, when her father introduced her to court after her birth. But back then, she was merely Lord Stannis' firstborn daughter, unlikely to inherit anything; now, everything has changed.
It is inevitable. The issue of succession has troubled the realm for a decade, ever since Queen Lyanna seemed less likely to produce living children. Shireen's father has diligently served on the small council for nearly half his life, first as the master of ships, then as the Hand after Lord Arryn's death. Now, he is named heir to the Iron Throne, and Shireen returns to King's Landing not as a mere lady, but as a princess destined to rule Westeros.
Initially, Shireen was excited by this drastic change in her life. Her mother told her she would become the most desirable maiden in the Seven Kingdoms. But after a week of constant attention and flattery, she is sick of it. She knows she is no Argella, no matter what everyone else says.
So it's only natural that Shireen will spend her free time away from the court, away from the young lords and her new ladies-in-waiting, roaming Maegor's Holdfast trying to find the best hiding spots.
That's when she meets him.
From a corner of a rarely-traveled hall, a mop of silver hair and violet eyes appear.
Shireen stares back. This man—no, boy—is dressed too finely to be a servant, and she doesn't recognize him.
"Who are you?" she demands, taking a brave step forward.
Leaning on the wall just behind the corner, the boy blinks rapidly, a wry smile forming on his lips. "You saw me," he says, almost meaninglessly, "You caught me, well done. But I don't recognize you, fair lady. You are—"
He pauses mid-sentence as his gaze drops from her face to her dress, where a stag is proudly embroidered. His eyes widen and his smile vanishes. "You're... a Baratheon? No, wait, I remember now... Stannis' daughter?"
"Yes, I'm Shireen Baratheon. Who are you?" Shireen repeats, frowning. Who in the Red Keep wouldn't recognize her by sight?
Shireen quickly reviews the few houses in Westeros with known Valyrian heritage in her mind, but finds no matching face. This boy is certainly not a Velaryon or a Celtigar; she knows both houses well, as they are her father's bannermen. But then, who else—
Her eyes fall on the black doublet he is wearing, and a small, insignificant red dragon pin enters her view.
Oh. Shireen's eyes widen.
"Targaryen…?"
"Oh no, you shouldn't see me. I shouldn't be here," the Targaryen boy says, stepping backwards, "You know what? Actually, you never saw me. This is just a dream, no, a delusion." Then he turns around and runs, shouting, "Seeing you never!"
"Wait!" Shireen chases after him, but finds no sign of the boy after turning the corner. The boy is gone, no matter where she looks. She spends the rest of her afternoon wandering around the halls in confusion until her septa finds her and brings her back for dinner.
A few days later, her father finally takes time to dine with her, so she asks a question that has been haunting her mind.
"Father, what happened to the Targaryens?"
Upon hearing the name 'Targaryen,' her father turns toward her, his gaze intense. "You know your history, Shireen. Robert killed Rhaegar himself, and the Mad King was killed when the Lannisters took the city. The rest of the Targaryens were taken into custody and kept in the Red Keep as hostages. Why do you ask?"
"I know that you took Dragonstone and secured the Targaryen children at the end of the war, but..." Shireen trails off, thinking of how to phrase the question, "Are they... still here now? Inside the Red Keep?"
"I didn't just secure the children, their mother as well, although she died very soon. Robert rewarded me with Dragonstone in addition to Storm's End for that," Stannis corrects her, his eyes narrowing, "Why are you interested in that, Shireen? Why do you want to know where the Targaryens are located?"
"I..." Should she tell her father what she saw that day? From the boy's reaction, it certainly seemed like he wasn't permitted to wander around by himself. If he's a hostage, he wouldn't want anyone to know he has found a way to sneak out of confinement...
But from what she remembered, he wasn't armed, nor did he have any intention to harm her. Perhaps he wasn't a Targaryen at all, but a servant boy who stole the old Targaryen garb for himself?
At the very least, if he's a Targaryen, he didn't escape from the Red Keep. This isn't the kind of news that could be hidden; all in King's Landing would know.
Perhaps... if she can arrange a meeting with the Targaryens, she will have no misgivings about the situation. "If I'm to inherit the Iron Throne one day, father, then it'll be important to ensure there won't be people raising banners for the Targaryens. I have met so many important lords and heirs since I arrived here, I think it's time for me to meet with them."
Stannis huffs, "Those children grew up in confinement and should remember no life outside the Red Keep; they're hardly a threat."
"But wasn't Rhaegar's wife Elia of Dorne? Wouldn't Prince Doran prefer his nephew and niece on the Iron Throne instead?"
"No doubt, he would. The Dornish hold no love for Robert. But Prince Doran isn't foolish enough to rise when the situation is hopeless. Instead, he chooses to court us, hoping that one day he can arrange the release of Elia and her child."
"Court us... sending Trystane to court me." The Martell boy is only two years older than Shireen and the most highborn of her suitors. Shireen doesn't know him well enough to form an opinion, but he's at least better than Ser Loras, who told Shireen he disliked reading.
"Yes. It's not a bad match, but we still have some consideration. You shouldn't show preference for any of them at the moment," Stannis briefly pauses, giving Shireen a warning look, "If you have the idea of reuniting the claims by marrying a Targaryen, perish the thought."
Shireen never thought about that. "I didn't," she quickly clarifies, "I only want to meet them... to see if we can be friends."
"Is the company of your ladies and those lordlings not enough?"
"They're... too eager to please me." Lowering her head, she tries to avoid Stannis' piercing gaze, "I miss my ladies in Stormlands. I miss Daven and Patches, I miss Maester Cressen."
Her answer must be unexpected, as her father's eyebrows raise slightly. "Pycelle is indeed unpleasant company compared to Cressen," he says, "but the old man is too frail to travel to King's Landing. Robert's court will not take kindly to Patchface's antics, but I shall write to bring your friends here. Don't mention the Targaryens again, especially not in the presence of the King and Queen."
"Thank you, father." Shireen is grateful for the arrangement Stannis promises to make, but she still hasn't gotten what she wants.
And so she starts to explore the Red Keep again. She dare not ask around for the location of the Targaryens, lest her father hears, but she sometimes hears her maids and other servants gossiping.
The Targaryens aren't a hot topic among those working in the Red Keep. Mostly, the men and women have lost interest in King's Landing's old masters. Their favorite topics, apart from Shireen herself and her suitors, are the gory stories of Queen Lyanna's family or the mysterious deaths of the previous Hand and the master of coin. Shireen isn't interested in those stories. There's only one rumor that's related to what she's seeking:
The Phantom of the Red Keep.
The Red Keep has a gruesome history, from Maegor the Cruel who killed all its builders and buried them under the castle, to the more recent burnings by the Mad King. It's no surprise there are ghost stories, yet the rumors Shireen hears are more... precise.
Although no one can say for certain who the Phantom is, all agree that he exists. He haunts the Red Keep, its halls and its stairs, its courtyards and its cellars. Few have seen him, but many have heard him; a remark that couldn't come from anyone in the room, laughter from empty walls, footsteps when nobody was following. He seems to be everywhere.
From the tales, the Phantom is fairly harmless, more of a prankster than a vengeful ghost. Those few who caught a glimpse of him describe a figure identical to the boy Shireen saw: Valyrian features, young, fit, and well-dressed.
No one makes the connection between the Phantom and the two Targaryen boys held hostage in the Red Keep, but to Shireen, it's obvious. As for how they escape confinement... Perhaps the secret passages Maegor once committed a massacre to protect is the answer.
It takes a few months, but eventually Shireen catches him. It's not in the same hallway she saw him last time, but in the Tower of the Hand, where her father resides. She has heard sightings of him here.
"I saw you, Phantom of the Red Keep," she says when she sees the boy hiding behind a door. They're in a small, abandoned room with nobody else. Shireen's heart threatens to leap out of her chest, yet she keeps her tone calm, "Please come out, whoever you really are. I won't tell anyone if you do so."
"Lady, no, Princess Shireen." The boy leaves his hiding place with a smile. Fingers idly stroking his chin, he appears unfazed, very different from last time. He even bows with some flourish. "Fate brought us together again. How can I help you?"
"How did you—" Shireen wants to ask him his escape method, but realizes he's unlikely to tell her. Shaking her head, she decides to confirm her suspicions first. "What is your true name?"
"Well," his smile deepens, "Have a guess?"
"...Aegon." The boy is not much older than her, so he can't be Viserys, who was a child during the rebellion. "Aegon Targaryen."
"You're right, that's my name," he murmurs thoughtfully, "but..."
"But you don't plan to escape?" Shireen asks, somewhat forcefully, "Is that what you are going to say?"
"...Although it seems you have done your research, I fear you still have some misconceptions." Aegon shakes his head slightly, "First, I can't possibly escape. Like it or not, the Red Keep is my home. Leaving is out of the question."
"You don't want to leave...?" Shireen is shocked, but it makes sense when she thinks about it. Aegon's behavior isn't that of someone trying to escape and claim his crown. The Phantom is playful, not vengeful...
If reclaiming the Iron Throne were his goal, he would never appear before Shireen like that.
But then...
"Why did you come here, then?" Shireen's face darkens, "You're playing with fire. If the king or my father sees you, they won't be merciful. You must know that."
Aegon chuckles quietly, "It's questionable whether they could see me at all."
Before Shireen can ask what he means, he adds, "No, I don't think they'll find me. I have been wandering the halls of the Red Keep for years, earning a reputation, yet no Kings or Hands have tried to seek me out. No one ever linked the Phantom to me... except you."
"My lady— I mean, your highness, you're the only one who tried to research me. Now that we meet again, I figure the least I could do is give you some answers."
Shireen narrows her eyes. "You couldn't possibly claim that you came here to see me." She doesn't trust Aegon, not when he acts like he's some gallant knight. Besides... "I don't come here regularly; my chambers are in Maegor's Holdfast. If you wanted to meet me, you should have gone there instead."
"Oh." Aegon widens his eyes, "Oh, huh. Well..." he smiles brilliantly, "I managed to meet you anyway. Perhaps that's fate—"
"Are you flirting with me?" Shireen interrupts, rolling her eyes, "Please, that won't work. I have been dealing with men like you every day since I came here."
"...You do, don't you?" Aegon's question seems more to himself than to Shireen. Looking bitter for a moment, he then laughs, loud enough for Shireen to fear someone will hear. "My apologies, princess. Flirting is a habit I'm trying to break, but it's hard... If my uncle knew, he would have me beaten again."
Shireen raises a brow. "Uncle?" She can only think of one man. "You mean Viserys? He beats you?"
"Not my— no, not him." For some reason, this makes Aegon giggle. "I don't mean my uncle by birth. In fact, he's barely related to me, but I call him uncle because the alternative is his name or his title. Can't bring myself to say them."
"You mean..." The hints form a definite answer in Shireen's mind. An answer she doesn't like. "The King?!"
Aegon shakes his head.
"It's 'the king,' yes, but it's not—"
"Shireen? What are you doing here?"
Shireen turns around. Her mother stands tall, blocking the whole doorway, a frown on her face. "If your father summoned you, you should hurry instead of hiding in a room and talking to shadows."
"Mother, but..." Shireen sneaks a peek behind her, but Aegon has disappeared like smoke.
Talking to shadows, her mother said.
That means her mother didn't see Aegon.
But he was in the middle of the room a second ago...
Startled, Shireen runs out of the room. "Where are you going, young lady?" Selyse asks, grabbing her arm firmly.
Shireen doesn't care about the lecture she'll certainly receive later. The only thing she cares about now is Aegon. Behind her mother, she sees her father's guards and her mother's ladies, so she asks, "Did all of you see me in that room... alone?"
"Shireen!" Her mother pulls her, making Shireen stand straight and face her, "Stop this nonsense. Of course you're alone in that room!"
Behind Selyse, people nod, looking confused and worried. Shireen's teeth start chattering.
She might have made a huge mistake.
—
"Father!" rushing into Stannis' solar, Shireen cries out, "Please, tell me the truth!"
Stannis glares at her, "You didn't knock. But if you're so urgent to get an answer... elaborate."
"What happened…" panting, Shireen leans forward, her hands on Stannis' desk, "What happened to Aegon Targaryen, after he was taken into custody?"
Stannis frowns.
"That boy? He—"